Tattered Past

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Yes, I've been absent for a few days but I've been oh so busy doing good things.

I finished visiting all the blogs on the Blog Hop. Yes, all 483 blogs. Many of them I signed up for. They are all amazing. The most interesting part is I learned a lot about me. In looking at all those blogs I started noticing all the things that spoke to me, things I wanted to try, people I wanted to meet and places I wanted to go. Some of the blogs spoke to me in words and others in photographs, art, and design. I've always known I'm drawn to old, shabby, tattered things. I love working with paper and fabric. I didn't realize how much I love watercolors and sketching. This seems to be what I'm drawn to most at this time. So, without further ado, I'm putting together a watercolor kit and plan on doing more with that medium.

Second I started the wonderfully witty Willowing art course. It's free and it has taken over Blog Land.
The first lesson was to do a portrait as part of a journal spread. I did that and then I did a second portrait as practice partly because I wanted to use a better paper than is in my journal. Here's the results of the second go 'round:

I can see a lot of problems with her but I can also see that I learned a lot. I didn't have many of the colors she suggested so I have put in an order to Dick Blick for some new Caran d' Ache Neocolor II watersoluble wax crayons. These have become my favorite medium so more colors is a good thing.

Those of you in the class will see I had a terrible time with the brayer effect. I think my paint is drying out a bit. I didn't do as many layers on this one as Tam does on her video. I just want to get the techniques down.

Practice makes perfect.

I also spent a lot of time yesterday working on a Remains of the Day style journal (Mary Ann Moss.) I love, love, love these journals and I hope to present them in my etsy shop. I'm determined to get this going before the end of the year.

What have you learned about yourself this week? Where are you going with your art, writing, crafting, homemaking? If you put it down in a comment here it will help you get going. Putting it in writing always works that way.

7 comments:

Rita .. Thanks for visiting my blog on the Blog Hop. You've inspired me to follow in your e-footsteps and hop them all. I'm sure to be very inspired to create and perhaps it will be just what the doctor orders for my block :-).

Rita, thank you so much for visiting me! I just had to visit you too and am completely delighted by the wonderful tattered treasures on your blog--things I love! I am hoping this Wednesday to start visiting all the WOYWWers! Thanks for the inspiration.

hello rita, I like that you have had a go at the willowing art course..its great isnt it. I have learnt so much and its only been on for 2 weeks! Really like your portrait especially the eyes and hair and thanks for visiting my blog today

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About Me

A few things I enjoy:
Photography, mixed media art, researching history, writing, history of the Old West, genealogy, being with friends, Tombstone history, discovering myself, reading, and teaching what I have learned about these things.
Things I love:
My family, my home, and my dog.